| |
Upon completion, a citizen's task force was convened to work with the architectural firm to envision the Hartford Library of the future. The task force visited several newly constructed libraries and worked extensively with the Library Board and architect to develop a long-range plan for the new facility.
Simultaneous to the development of the Library's planning process, the City Administrator and a group of City department heads were preparing a long-term Management Facilities Study for City Hall, completed in September of 2007. The study provided several options to the City Council to address growth needs and the development of several of its departments. After reviewing these options, the Hartford City Council selected the scenario that supported the construction of a new stand-alone Library and the relocation of various departments into the vacated Library space.
Tentative plans call for the Police Department to occupy the majority of the lower and main floors, with the Engineering Department, the Planning and Zoning Departments and the Community Development Authority moving into vacated Library space.
Upon the conclusion of the planning process, the Library Board presented its findings to the City Council, and a new facility was approved on October 25, 2007. The request was for a two-story facility adjacent to the Mill Pond that will more than double the size of the existing facility and provide the downtown area at least 100 public parking spaces. The facility will accommodate the needs of 21st Century library users at an estimated cost of $10 million.
New Facility
The proposed new facility will provide the opportunity to expand and enhance Library services to the City of Hartford and surrounding communities. Your new Library will offer:
Improved Children's programming:
-
Parent-baby lap sessions
-
Toddler story times
-
Evening pajama story hours
-
Joint parent and child sessions
-
All using a new story hour room
- New teen area appealing to reading and musical interests, after school and weekend programming, book clubs, and gaming sessions.
- New community room, designed to hold various library programs and community meetings.
- Consolidation of circulation, Interlibrary L oan, cataloging, and processing operations enabling these tasks to be completed away from the primary service desk.
- Expanded adult programming in cooperation with the Friends of the Library including book clubs, literacy projects, computer assistance, Great Books discussions, consumer information programs, and adult/children sessions.
- Expanded Hartford History Room offering genealogical research materials, local history collections, and displays of community interest.
- Upgraded quiet reading area overlooking the Mill Pond, complete with comfortable chairs, magazines, and newspapers.
- Two or more small study rooms for small group meetings, one-on-one tutoring, and quiet study.
- Increased number of internet workstations throughout the facility.
- WI-FI capability to encourage laptop owners to use the Library.
- Green design and heating and cooling system making it less costly to operate.
- Design codes that comply with current standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act for entrances, restrooms, and public service stations, including wider aisles and shorter shelves.
- A 24-hour drive through materials pick-up and return.
- Customer service desks to all departments, making assistance accessible.
- Over 100 public parking spaces to increase accessibility to the downtown.
The process of planning this new Library and presenting the needs to the City Council has given us new insights about the importance of our Library to our community. Even with computers and readily accessible information, books and libraries continue to be needed.
Research indicates that children who read books develop different skill-sets than those who read exclusively on computer. Children who read books do much better on tests and therefore do better in school. Modern libraries are not antiquated museums of books collecting dust; they are places of discovery, interaction, learning, gathering, and, of course, reading.
|
